Informational meeting held on coyote problem in Gloucester

by Quinton Sheppard - Posted on Mar 30, 2011 - 02:42 PM

An informational program on coyotes yielded a good turnout Monday night at T.C. Walker Elementary School, Gloucester. Steve Baranek, Gloucester’s senior deputy animal control officer, said 143 people attended the program, which was hosted by Gloucester County and the USDA Wildlife Services division.

"It was a total surprise," Baranek said, reporting that residents came from as far away as King and Queen and Middlesex counties.

Chad Fox, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spoke about a number of topics, including the types of habitats where coyotes generally live, giving details about the coyotes "packing up" together and the role of "alpha" males.

He provided information on how to protect livestock and animals from potential coyote attacks and generally described how to set traps. He also said that coyotes would go after domestic animals such as dogs and cats.